The architect foundations credential. Covers designing agentic systems end to end — model and interface selection, prompt engineering, tool use and structured output, retrieval, MCP, and Claude Code.
Who it's for: Solution architects designing and building agent systems with Claude.
Multiple-choice and scenario-based multiple-response
Delivery
Proctored via Pearson VUE — online or test centre, closed book
Scoring
Scaled 100–1000; 720 required to pass
Pace
About 120 seconds per item
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Before you book: check you're eligible
Claude certification exams are currently open to people at Claude Partner Network organizations, and registration needs a partner email on a recognized company domain — a personal Gmail address will be rejected. Joining the Partner Network is free. Read the full eligibility guide →
The blueprint
Exactly what CCAR-F tests you on
5 domains and 30 published objectives. Every objective below is a skill the exam can assess — treat this as your revision checklist. The bars show how many objectives each domain carries.
1
Agentic Architecture & Orchestration
7 published objectives
23%
Design and implement agentic loops for autonomous task execution
Orchestrate multi-agent systems with coordinator-subagent patterns
Configure subagent invocation, context passing, and spawning
Implement multi-step workflows with enforcement and handoff patterns
Apply Agent SDK hooks for tool call interception and data normalization
Design task decomposition strategies for complex workflows
Manage session state, resumption, and forking
2
Tool Design & MCP Integration
5 published objectives
17%
Design effective tool interfaces with clear descriptions and boundaries
Implement structured error responses for MCP tools
Distribute tools appropriately across agents and configure tool choice
Integrate MCP servers into Claude Code and agent workflows
Configure CLAUDE.md files with appropriate hierarchy, scoping, and modular organization
Create and configure custom slash commands and skills
Apply path-specific rules for conditional convention loading
Determine when to use plan mode vs direct execution
Apply iterative refinement techniques for progressive improvement
Integrate Claude Code into CI/CD pipelines
4
Prompt Engineering & Structured Output
6 published objectives
20%
Design prompts with explicit criteria to improve precision and reduce false positives
Apply few-shot prompting to improve output consistency and quality
Enforce structured output using tool use and JSON schemas
Implement validation, retry, and feedback loops for extraction quality
Design efficient batch processing strategies
Design multi-instance and multi-pass review architectures
5
Context Management & Reliability
6 published objectives
20%
Manage conversation context to preserve critical information across long interactions
Design effective escalation and ambiguity resolution patterns
Implement error propagation strategies across multi-agent systems
Manage context effectively in large codebase exploration
Design human review workflows and confidence calibration
Preserve information provenance and handle uncertainty in multi-source synthesis
Percentages show each domain's share of the published objectives — a guide to where the blueprint is densest. They are not Anthropic's official exam weightings.
Study strategy
How to focus your CCAR-F prep
Strategy derived from the published blueprint and the exam's format — not recollections of live exam content, which candidates are bound not to share.
1
Start with the blueprint, not a course. The 30 objectives above are the actual assessed skills. Rate yourself 1–5 on each, then spend your time on the 1s and 2s.
2
“Agentic Architecture & Orchestration” carries the most published objectives (7 of 30), making it the densest area of the blueprint — a sensible place to go deep first.
3
Practise under the real clock. 60 items in 120 minutes is about 120 seconds per item. Timing pressure, not knowledge, is what most candidates underestimate.
4
Read every item's response count. Items state how many options to select; multiple-response questions are where careless marks are lost.
5
Build something real. These are scenario-based exams — questions describe situations rather than quiz definitions, so hands-on familiarity beats memorisation.
6
Rehearse closed-book. No notes, docs, or AI assistance are permitted, so practise the same way from the start.
Practise until you're consistently clearing 720
Anthropic retired its official practice exam in the move to Pearson VUE. Cred Farmer covers CCAR-F with study sections mapped to all 5 domains, four full 60-question mock exams plus a mastery test, flashcard drills, and a readiness score broken down per domain. Free while in open beta.
Claude certification exams are currently available to people at organizations in the Claude Partner Network, and registration requires a partner email address on a recognized company domain — personal email addresses are not accepted. Partner Network membership has no fee, though joining commits the organization to certifying practitioners. Check your eligibility before you book.
How many questions is the CCAR-F exam, and how long do I get?
Claude Certified Architect – Foundations is 60 items in 120 minutes. Items are multiple-choice and scenario-based multiple-response; each item states how many responses to select. Expect additional seat time for check-in on top of the 120-minute clock.
What score do I need to pass CCAR-F?
720 on a scaled range of 100–1000. Scaled scoring equates results across exam forms that may differ slightly in difficulty, so the raw number of questions you need right is not fixed.
Is there an official CCAR-F practice exam?
No. Anthropic's practice exam was retired when exam delivery moved to Pearson VUE, so the only official practice material is the sample questions inside the exam guide. That gap is why Cred Farmer provides four full-length 60-question mock exams plus a mastery test for CCAR-F.
How long should I study for CCAR-F?
It depends on your starting point. If you already build with Claude regularly, working through the 5 domains and 30 objectives plus timed practice is usually a focused week or two. If the material is new, plan several weeks and lean on repetition rather than a single pass.
Is the CCAR-F exam open book?
No. All Claude certification exams are closed book. Notes, documentation, and AI assistants are not permitted during the exam, and sessions are proctored with identity verification.
The full program
The other Claude certifications
Compare the program before you commit to one exam.
Not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Anthropic or Pearson VUE. Exam details are summarised from publicly published program information and can change — always confirm against the official exam guide before booking.
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